Modern laundry detergent and/or fabric care compositions contain various detergent ingredients having one or more purposes in obtaining fabrics which are not only clean but also have retained appearance and integrity. Therefore, detergent components such as perfumes, soil release agents, fabric brightening agents, fabric softeners, chelants, bleaching agents and catalysts, dye fixatives and enzymes, have been incorporated in laundry detergent and/or fabric care compositions. One of such specific example is the use of enzymes, especially proteases, lipases, amylases and/or cellulases.
In particular, cellulase enzymes are used in detergent/fabric care compositions for their cleaning and fabric care benefits. The activity of cellulase is one in which cellulosic fibres or substrates are hydrolised by the cellulase and is depending on the particular function of the cellulase, which can be endo- or exo-cellulase, and on the respective hemicellulases. The cellulose structures are depolymerized or cleaved into smaller and thereby more soluble or dispersible fractions. This activity in particular on fabrics provides a cleaning, rejuvenating, softening and generally improved handfeel characteristics to the fabric structure. It is known in the art through protein analysis that cellobiohydrolases, major endoglucanases and bacterial cellulases posses a bifunctional organisation in the form of a catalytical core domain and a smaller cellulose binding domain separated by a linker or flexible hinge stretch of amino acids.
In recent years, consumer desirability for fabric conditioning compositions has risen. Fabric softening compositions impart several desirable properties to treated garments including softness and static control. Fabric softness of laundered garments is typically achieved by delivering a quaternary ammonium compound to the surface of the fabric. Consumer desirability for durable press fabric garments, particularly cotton fabric garments, has also risen. Durable press garments include those garments which resist wrinkling of the fabric both during wear and during the laundering process. Durable press garments can greatly decrease the hand work associated with laundering by eliminating ironing sometimes necessary to prevent wrinkling of the garment. However, in most commercially available durable press fabrics, the fabric's ability to resist wrinkling is reduced over time as the garment is repeatedly worn and laundered. Furthermore, coloured garments have a tendency to wear and show appearance losses. A portion of this colour loss may be attributed to abrasion in the laundering process, particularly in automatic washing machines and automatic laundry dryers. Moreover, tensile strength loss of fabric appears as an unavoidable result of mechanical/chemical action due to use/wearing or washing.
As indicated above, there is a continuous need for a fabric care composition, which can provide fabric softness and provide, refurbish or restore tensile strength, anti-wrinkle, anti-bobbling and anti-shrinkage properties to fabrics, as well as provide static control, colour appearance and fabric anti-wear properties and benefits.
The above objective has been met by formulating fabric care compositions comprising one or more amino acid sequence(s) comprising a Cellulose Binding Domain (CBD).
Enzymes linked to Cellulose Binding Domains are described in the art: WO 91/10732 novel derivatives of cellulase enzymes combining a core region derived from an endoglucanase producible by a strain of Bacillus spp., NICMB 40250 with a CBD derived from another cellulase enzyme or a combining a core region derived from another cellulase enzyme with a CBD derived from said endoglucanase, for improved binding properties. WO94/07998 describes cellulase variants of a cellulase classified in family 45, comprising a CBD, a Catalytically Active Domain (CAD) and a region linking the CBD to the CAD, wherein one or more amino acid residues have been added, deleted or substituted and/or another CBD is added at the opposite end of the CAD. WO95/16782 relates to the cloning and high level expression of novel truncated cellulase proteins or derivatives thereof in Trichoderma longibrachiatum comprising different core regions with several CBDs. WO97101629 describes cellulolytic enzyme preparation wherein the mobility of the cellulase component may be reduced by adsorption to an insoluble or soluble carrier e.g. via the existing or newly introduced CBD. WO97/28243 describes a process for removal or bleaching or soiling or stains from cellulosic fabrics wherein the fabric is contacted in aqueous medium with a modified enzyme which comprises a catalytically active amino acid sequence of a non-cellulolytic enzyme selected from amylases, proteases, lipases, pectinases and oxidoreductases, linked to an amino acid sequence comprising a cellulose binding domain and a detergent composition comprising such modified enzyme and a surfactant.
However, none of these documents disclose fabric care compositions comprising one or more amino acid sequence(s) comprising one or more Cellulose Binding Domain, for fabric care benefits.